


Blue Blood

by LuckyREBD



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-17
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-26 04:32:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/278725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyREBD/pseuds/LuckyREBD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: The more Jounouchi watches Seto Kaiba, the more certain he is that something is terribly off with this entire mess. Is it worth the risk to find out?<br/>Eventual Puppyshipping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jounouchi is more observant than most people give him credit for.

He misses the big things a lot, making him the mark of many jokes and teasing remarks, but it’s the little things he pays the most attention to. He was the first one to find out Mazaki was helping teach dance lessons every Monday after school, apprenticing to help save up to move to New York. She’ll tell them eventually, but not him. After all, Jounouchi knows that she of all people would consider him the most likely to blab.

Regardless, his powers of observation when it came to behavior and motivations were normally spot on. Except in one case.

Kaiba, Seto.

It wasn’t that Kaiba had an absence of patterns, no, the man seemed to have too many patterns! Rigid patterns, as if he had some impeccable internal clock was working overtime to keep him working on a brutal schedule. He never missed a beat. That was the part that confused Jounouchi so much, because everyone has off-days.

Except Kaiba.

Then he started to notice other weird little things. He never spots Kaiba eating anything, or sleeping, or even stopping to go to the washroom. Not so strange when tournaments are going on, but at school it becomes a bizarre pattern. So it becomes a game, offering Kaiba a bite of a candy bar every so often, watching to see if he tries to leave the classroom. He always drinks from a thermos, but Jounouchi knows what coffee smells like, and that ain’t it.

“Hey Kaiba?” Jounouchi calls out idly, grinning as he jogs to catch up to the taller teen in the school’s courtyard, the space abandoned as the blonde finds himself the last leaving after detention. Odder still, to find Kaiba here so late, and the brunette looks abnormally cross.

“What do you want?” Kaiba snaps irritably, arms folded over his chest as he leans against the wall, his briefcase resting on the ground within arm’s reach.

“I— geeze, you don’t have to be so aggressive! I was just wondering what you were doing here so late!” Jounouchi bristles defensively, huffing a bit as Kaiba turns his head away to look at the empty entrance.

“Waiting. I’m surprised even someone with your limited perception didn’t pick that up.” The smirk that crosses Kaiba’s face at getting to insult the blonde doesn’t go unnoticed, and Jounouchi considers just leaving the bastard alone.

But his curiosity is stronger than his anger.

“And I’m surprised someone as supposedly smart as you didn’t realize I was asking why.” He counters neatly, grinning smugly at the irritated CEO.

“It isn’t as if it would be any of your business, but my driver had an accident. Thus is running late.” The scowl on his lips Jounouchi notes is more likely from being delayed than any worry about the accident itself.

“I’m surprised you aren’t hungry, then.”

“I ate earlier.” Kaiba mutters irritably, wondering why the blonde is still there to bother him in the first place. His expression falters at Jounouchi’s innocent rebuttal,

“No you didn’t. You haven’t eaten a single thing since you arrived this morning. Or any other day. You don’t eat.” Jounouchi accuses stubbornly, only pushing the matter as he sees the way Kaiba flinches. Barely perceptible, but a flinch nonetheless. “Ever.”

Jou sees stars as his back slams against the wall, head cracking painfully against it as it bounces back from the impact, and the pressure against his ribs makes it nearly impossible to breathe. Taking in a gasping breath as he struggles to make sense of the painful impact, blinking back spots and darkness from his vision. Kaiba’s face leans close, lips brushing the shell of Jou’s ear,

“None of this is any of your business. Make sure it stays that way, or I’ll finish what I started when I first met you and your idiotic friends.”

Jou’s legs tremble a bit, and he sinks down to the ground as Kaiba relinquishes his grip, watching dazedly as the man stalks off to the sleek black limo pulling up to the gates.

That could’ve gone better.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba hasn’t come back to school yet.

Of course, that doesn’t strike Jounouchi as odd. Kaiba is a businessman, and gets exceptions to leave school more often than Jou gets detention. If it weren’t for their last encounter he wouldn’t have thought twice about it.

Lifting his hand to rub the back of his head with a wince, he recalls just how hard the other had shoved him, and debates the merits of continuing his curiosity. With significantly less lives than a cat to spare, Jounouchi knows it would be idiotic to continue after the threats.

But Kaiba hasn’t come back to school yet.

Which, as he noted previously, was not odd on it’s own. The fact that there was no notice given, and even the teachers were confused by the lack of paperwork offered to explain his absence was the part that peaked his interest. After all, Kaiba doesn’t forget things.

Or eat.

The thought come unbidden, torturous in the way everything cycles back to that single moment where Kaiba had lashed out because Jou was right.

That settles it. Danger hasn’t scared him before, and it sure as hell won’t start now, not when he knows that he hit a nerve last time. Whatever Kaiba’s deal is, Jounouchi won’t rest until he finds out. Of course, explaining to his friends his sudden interest in Kaiba was out of the question, as if Kaiba did make honest on his threat he might leave them out of it if Jounouchi doesn’t involve them.

Which explains why he is struggling to scale the ivy-covered walls on the south end of Kaiba’s estate. The regular walls are too smooth to get a grip, but with some careful maneuvering he uses the greenery to hoist himself over. Straddling the top of the wall, he glances at the thick cover of trees with the mansion looming in the distance menacingly, and wonders for the hundredth time if this was an absolutely horrible idea.

Dropping down off the wall into a crouch, he slips into the thickets and shrubbery for cover. It’s easy to tell where the cameras will be, and with a little patience he knows the routes and times that the guards make their rounds.

But why so many guards so far from the house?

He hits the answer quite painfully when his knees crack into a slightly raised concrete platform in the middle of the wooded area. Biting down on his lip until he tastes copper to keep from making a noise, he takes deep, deliberate breaths through his nose until the pain subsides.

Looking around furtively to ensure his position is still safe and unnoticed, Jounouchi then inspects his find with eager curiousity. Hands running along the metal edges of the silvered square on top of the platform, he cautiously clambers onto it, frowning when he realizes that there are no buttons, keypads or even hinges.

Dammit.

Then he hears a tiny beep, and his brow furrows in concentration, pressing his ear to the metal—

And it swings open, dropping him down onto cold tile below, closing above him effortlessly. Wincing, he gets his his feet, rubbing his injured bottom with a grumpy frown. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust, the last lingering rays of sunlight had been extinguished by the closing door, and a pale blue light illuminates the entry room and corridor. A ladder behind him is comforting, at least he’ll be able to get back up to the door again, and the walls are smooth and metal, with wires and cords running along them and disappearing out of sight again.

Running his fingers along one wall, he realizes there are strings of tiny LED lights inside the plastic casing of the wires, which cast the blue light. One hand along the wall, he follows it along the right side, as even with his eyes adjusted the light is only barely enough to see by.

So he follows the sound of the beeping.


	3. Chapter 3

Shivering, Jounouchi pulls his jean jacket closed to ward off the chill that cuts to the bone in this place. The sounds echo eerily, and the lighting is starting to make him jumpy each time a new LED makes itself known.

Swallowing roughly, he peeks into the first room he finds, disappointed to see only bulky towers with blinking lights, and boxes in perfectly symmetrical lines inside them. The floor is obscured by wires, and he spots the vents pumping in frigid air near the ceiling. Seeing nothing useful, he pulls out into the hallway once more, idly musing over how much of the room had been bearing the Kaiba Corp logo.

Were they building computers and operating systems now?

Deciding this must be some sort of remote testing facility, Jounouchi considers abandoning this entire idea. Getting caught here could mean some major jail-time, and suspicion of corporate espionage. Yet somehow his feet carry him as if with a stubborn mind of their own further down the hall.

Most of the rooms are the same as the first, and the hall wind down a steep staircase deep into the earth. Like something out of a science fiction movie, a spaceship-esque like labyrinth of metal and technology. Finally the path comes to an end, two levels down and cold enough that his breath comes out in clouds.

To a locked door.

Inspecting the imposing face of the door, with no knob or lock to be seen, he prods at the hinges as he had with the trapdoor to no avail.

“Aw, c’mon, I didn’t come all the way down here for nothing! Open you stupid thing!”

And Jou stares in shock as the door recedes obediently into the wall, and can’t stop a giddy smile at the success. Not so secure after all, hm? Though his elation fades as he finds yet another hallway, but at least the door at the end of this one is ajar.

The blue light is brighter from there, and it splays eerie shadows over the floor of the hallway, the light stretching almost all the way to his feet. Padding down the hall as quiet as a mouse, he reaches the doorframe and starts to peek inside.

The room is louder than he expected. Beeping, computers processing, diagnostics running on the multitude of monitors that cover one expanse of wall.

And Kaiba.

Freezing in place, Jou waits with his chest tight for some reaction, but the brunette’s eyes remain lightly closed, his face almost peacefully blank. Relaxing a fraction, the blonde observes the other teen only to realize that there is no rise and fall of Kaiba’s chest, no flutter of breath. In fact his body is so completely still that Jounouchi is scared he might be dead.

Until he spots the wires, of course. A thick coil of wires bound together and feeding into the massive computer unit, and something that makes the strangest whirring noise. It’s the other end that causes Jou to tense again, realizing the wires feed upward until hook directly at the base of Kaiba’s skull, normally hidden by his hair.

Oh god.

Stumbling back a step, he realizes his hands are shaking, and shuts the door as quietly as he can.

Oh god.

The hallway seems even longer heading back, and every hint of noise makes his skin crawl and his eyes flicker.

Oh god.

Until he nearly walks into someone, and yelps loudly. Plastered against the wall, he tries to calm the frantic beating of his heart, not sure whether to be relieved or even more worried by the gently concerned and confused face of Mokuba Kaiba looking up at him.

“Jounouchi? What are you doing down here, are you okay?” A hand is resting on his arm jolts him out of his shock, and Jounouchi forces an easy smile.

“S-sorry kiddo, you startled me a bit. I fell down here and couldn’t get back out.” Not exactly a lie, but he isn’t sure Mokuba will buy it either.

“Honestly, Jounouchi! You could have just come to the front door. We do have one of those you know! Come one, let’s get you somewhere to sit down for a second, hm? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Leading Jou by the elbow to one of the rooms in the corridor with a chair half buried in wires and cords, the younger Kaiba convinces him to sit with a peaceable smile.

“Yeah? I figured you brother wouldn’t let me in if I came to the door.” Jounouchi offers with a relieved smile, only to turn to worry as Mokuba turns back towards the hallway.

Standing clumsily from the cold and shock, he stumbles over the wires and lands hard as the door closes, the click of an electronic lock causing a heavy feeling of dread in his stomach.

“I’m sorry, Jounouchi. I have to go check on Oniisama and see what he thinks we should do.

You understand, right?”


	4. Chapter 4

“Mokuba?” Jounouchi’s voice wavers, panic rising in his chest as he clambers over the last expanse of wires to slam his fists against the painfully cold metal of the sealed door, “Mokuba! Mokuba! Let me out!”

Instead, all he hears are the noises he makes himself, and the echo of small feet down the empty hallway. Slumping against the smooth surface, he tugs his knees to his chest and shivers. The memory of Kaiba’s eyes just before Jounouchi impacted the wall forces itself into his mind, and the blonde muffles a whimper in his knees.

The quiet thrumming of the machines and the cooling units is maddening as he waits, body straining and tense, until even his own breathing sounds painfully loud.

When the door opens, Jounouchi falls backwards through it, letting out a surprised yelp as his shoulders impact— shins?

Short of breath, and terrified at not having heard the approach, he tilts his head back slowly until he can see Kaiba’s completely neutral face. His joints ache as he tries to twist his body to throw himself past the man’s legs, only to be kneed harshly in the stomach.

“Stay.” The mocking tone makes Jounouchi’s blood boil in a silent fury, but curled up on his side he is unable to express it with a fist. Not that a fist would help, he laments. Kaiba reaches down and snatches Jou roughly by his jacket collar, and tosses him further into the room, the impact dulled by the plastic and rubber encased wires.

Clasping his shoulder with a pained grunt, amber eyes glare furiously at the brunette as he calmly closes the door once more.

“Honestly. I tell you not to meddle, and the first idiotic idea that enters your clearly malfunctioning brain is to come here, alone? Do your loser friends even know you’re here, or would you just go missing silently?” Kaiba smirks, and strides over to the chair, sitting regally on it and crossing his legs at the knee, observing the blonde with a superior air.

Jounouchi flinches, realizing that not telling anyone was backfiring in the logic department. Kaiba could kill him, freeze the body, and no one would be the wiser. Hell, it isn’t as if his father would be looking for him. Shuddering, he refuses to look up at the smug bastard,

“You’re bluffing now. If you were going to kill me, you would have already.”

The jacket hits him squarely in the face.

“Put that on before you freeze to death,” Kaiba mutters irritably, and Jounouchi knows he hit a nerve somehow. When he reluctantly peeks up, Jou realizes Kaiba isn’t looking at him anymore, stubbornly inspecting his pants for imagined wrinkles,

“Now what, exactly, did you see?”

His lip stings where his teeth had broken skin, and he hazards a cautious glance towards the back of Kaiba’s neck, unable to see more due to the angle,

“…Er. I don’t suppose you would believe nothing?”

“About as much as my brother did.” Kaiba counters easily, smirking once more, “So all of it, I suppose. You had best watch yourself, Jounouchi.”

Jounouchi doesn’t have time to get over the shock of Kaiba using his name before the brunette continues callously,

“Because your answers and behavior at the moment are deciding whether you leave here alive, or in a body bag.”

Swallowing nervously, Jou shrinks down a little, pulling the borrowed coat tighter around himself, “…S-so, are you a robot?”

Kaiba’s eyes narrow coldly, “No. Robot implies a mindless machine. Like your fridge, or a laptop. Function and computing ability, but nothing more.” Spotting the terrified flinch, Kaiba’s voice softens a fraction, “But I am not human, Jounouchi.”

“Then what are you? You, you were plugged in.” Boggling, the blonde seems to have forgotten a bit of his fear in the face of ambitious curiousity. He scoots a fraction closer to Kaiba’s legs, looking up at him with unbridled questioning. His confusion only grows when Kaiba reaches down, ignoring the way Jounouchi shrinks down again, and touches his hair.

“I am a synthetic human. An android, of a sort. No, think closer to Astro, Jounouchi. Or perhaps Atlas.” He adds at the end, musing quietly to himself, and strokes the soft hair with a distracted expression,

“Though my mind belonged to my human self.”

“…I have the distinct impression you wouldn’t clarify that even if I asked, huh?” At Kaiba’s vaguely bemused expression, Jou rolls his eyes, “So, why is killing me a question? I mean, I saw you. Not that I want you to! It just. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“If it were anyone else, I doubt I would be hesitating.” Moving his hand to nudge Jounouchi’s head against his leg, Kaiba considers a long moment before continuing,

“But you cause me to experience things I have not felt before. I would rather you just left me alone, so I would not have to make such a choice.”

Staring, Jounouchi feels his cheeks go a touch red, thankful even for the slight warmth his own blush causes. Kaiba didn’t have to make it sound so bloody romantic,

“So where does that leave me?”

The smile on Kaiba’s lips is positively predatory,

“Until I decide how to proceed? Here.” Kaiba’s fingers tangle in golden strands, tugging Jounouchi’s head to make the smaller boy look up at him,

“As my prisoner.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Please tell me you’re joking, Kaiba.” Jou hates how pleading his voice sounds, but even more than that he hates how utterly impassive Kaiba’s face is. The words still ring coldly in his ears: Prisoner, a captive underground where ever his friends would never think to look for him.

“Have you known me to joke?” Seto counters idly, eyeing the blonde wrapped up so tightly in the white fabric of his jacket, and kneels down beside him. Too close for Jounouchi’s comfort, but scuttling back is a mistake as the wires leave him clumsy.

The wires? Looking down at the mass of tangled plastic and metal, Jou wonders if there had been so many of them so close to him before. The failed attempt to move back only resulted in his arms getting caught up in the wires, laying splayed out like an idiot on the bed of cords thrumming with energy and purpose.

Kaiba, on the other hand, leans back a fraction to drink in the sight, the way Jounouchi’s t-shirt rides up at his waist, revealing a tantalizing expanse of skin. His hand settles against the bared hip, marveling at the shiver his cold skin against Jounouchi’s warmer flesh provokes.

Interesting.

Breath coming in sporadic bursts, Jounouchi wonders if Kaiba can hear how loudly his heart is hammering away in his chest, or the tiny strangled noise that wrenches out of him at how bloody cold Kaiba’s skin is.

“C-christ! You’re freezing!”

“Does it bother you?” Kaiba murmurs curiously, “I suppose I will have to adjust the heat in here, so you don’t freeze to death.”

Jou’s eyes flutter wide as a ghost of lips graze his collarbone, leaving the skin tingling in their wake, tensing up in confusion,

“Y-you know, you could always let me go. I wouldn’t tell. You.. you know I wouldn’t tell.”

Lifting his head, Kaiba’s expression is amused once more despite being distracted from his examination,

“It doesn’t matter. You aren’t leaving until I have had the time to consider the situation properly.” Letting his fingers trail lightly along the skin at his captive’s waist, Kaiba sneaks his hand under fabric to rest his palm against the blonde’s stomach, enjoying the resistance his muscles offer there, “So you had best adapt, hm? After all, that does seem to be what you do best.”

Swallowing roughly, Jounouchi tries to ignore the touches and failing that wriggles uncomfortably, ending up nestled down further into the wires for his trouble.

“Fine,” Through gritted teeth, Jounouchi agrees. Until he has a better option, or a chance to coax Mokuba to help him, he doesn’t seem to have much of a choice,

“So you’re a ‘synthetic human’ or whatever,” Jou begins cautiously, waiting for the distracted nod before he continues, “Have you always been?”

“Surprisingly astute, coming from you.” The brunette smirks, using the moment’s pause to coax a thicker coil of wire over Jounouchi’s leg. Golden eyes widen almost comically as he realizes just how ensnared he is, and how predatory that inquisitive stare is on Kaiba’s face. “No. I was properly human once, but I am no longer organic.”

And Kaiba’s lips descend to the blonde’s collarbone a second time, murmuring against warm skin, “But no more questions tonight. For now, I suppose you can either convince me to stay here with you a while longer, or I’ll leave to the house for the night with you here like this. Alone.”

“I don’t care if you leave!” Jounouchi growls out stubbornly, annoyed by the superior look on the bastard’s face, and jerks against the coils as he tries to struggle free once more. Kaiba simply watches, tongue flicking out to wet his lips distractedly until his captive tires himself out and slumps into the wires helplessly.

“Part of you certainly seems to mind me leaving.” With Kaiba leaning this close, Jounouchi realizes for the first time just how unnaturally blue his eyes are, and the way for just a moment they seem to spark inside.

Flustered, he glares upwards, “All of me would be much happier with you not here.”

“Fine. Have it your way.” Standing, Kaiba looks down pointedly at Jounouchi’s pants, the teen’s reaction quite obvious, and smirks,

“I suppose I’ll give you a second chance when I come back with dinner, hm?”

With a flick of his wrist, the room is plunged back into a deeper darkness, and Jounouchi is left trapped with only the blinking of tiny lights, the humming of computer, and a hard-on he can do absolutely nothing about.

Fucking peachy.


	6. Chapter 6

Jou supposes he must be lucky, in a twisted way, that he has so much experience with sleeping in cold places. Escape was a priority, but one he was certain was unattainable currently, so instead he concentrates on keeping himself warm as best he can. The vents breathing cold air in from the ceiling are almost mockingly quiet as they continue making him wholly uncomfortable.

The growling of his stomach reminds him of Kaiba’s impending return with dinner, and while his stomach is more than happy by the thought, his mind races in circles trying to figure out a way to convince Kaiba this entire venture is absolutely bonkers.

Without, of course, convincing Kaiba that it would be easier to just kill him.

Which would be tricky even without the lingering knowledge that Kaiba wasn’t even human. Shivering, Jounouchi tries to wriggle out of the wires again, but after being in them for this long it’s useless. If nothing else, at least they offer warmth.

And Kaiba is a robot.

A robot who seems far too interested in him.

The door opens and the room is bathed in soft blue light once more, the tall silhouette of Kaiba looming through it. Shutting the door with a wave of his hand, he steps further into the room and to Jounouchi’s amazement the wires move obediently out of the way for him. Kneeling beside the bound blonde, Kaiba calmly set down a bag and arranges himself comfortably in a low-seated throne of wires. Setting out the food and utensils, he spares a glance over,

“If you can behave yourself, I will let your arms loose so you can eat.”

“Or what, you’ll let me starve?” Jounouchi counters, rolling his eyes. He wants his arms free, but being talked to like a child gets grating very quickly.

“No, otherwise I’ll feed you by hand.” Kaiba’s eyes narrow warningly.

“…Oh. Those the only options?” He pauses, grinning a bit, “I’m joking, Kaiba. I’m not gonna go crazy or anything if my arms are free.”

The wires recede slowly, leaving him in a comfortable nest but mostly free. Moving slowly to serve out some food for himself, as if worried about spooking his captor, Jou conversationally offers,

“So. Do you feel heat and cold?”

“Yes,” Eyeing the blonde cautiously while he eats, Kaiba continues, “But neither cause me any discomfort.”

“I figured as much.” At the quizzical look, Jounouchi gestures up at the vents, “Kaiba, it’s freezing in here. Look, you can’t let me go, because you don’t trust me not to tell, right?”

At the slow nod, Jounouchi continues quickly, hoping he isn’t pressing his luck,

“So let’s make a deal: Give me a chance to prove I’m trustworthy. Let me stay in the house where it’s warm. Hell, lock me in a set of rooms if you have to, I don’t care. Give me a month to prove to you that I can be trusted, and if I succeed, you let me go and I tell no one about anything I found out here.”

“…And if you fail?”

“Then I stay, no complaints.” Jounouchi holds his breath for a moment, trying to keep his expression open and friendly while Kaiba scrutinizes him. Every muscle feels tense as he shivers again, and for just a moment blue eyes soften.

“Agreed.”


	7. Chapter 7

The final receding of the wires makes Jou shiver softly, and catching the unwavering gaze of his captor he manages to give a reassuring smile. Finishing his meal in silence, Jounouchi has time to ponder some of the events, forming a clumsy draft in his mind of his plans.

“So, what is in the thermos you have on your desk sometimes?” Noting the way Kaiba’s posture tenses, and the narrowed eyes, he debates the merits of backpedaling but curiosity wins out. He is beginning to wonder if maybe this whole curiosity thing is something he should start avoiding, given his current luck with it.

Then, reluctantly, Kaiba decides to grace him with an answer,

“Coolant.”

“What is that?” Scooting closer, he looks up with unbridled interest, still working on his meal. After a moment, a chilly hand settles over his free hand and moves it to rest on top of clear cords with liquid moving through them.

“This. The liquid is designed to keep the systems cool and running smoothly. Here it is not as much of an issue, with the fans and cooling vent systems in place, but as would be obvious I have no fans sticking out of me. Thus in warm environments, I require coolant.”

The liquid pumping through is freezing, even with the covering keeping it from touching his hands proper so Jou snatches his hand away quickly.

“Oh. So it doesn’t hurt you or anything?”

“I don’t have a stomach or esophagus for it to harm.” Kaiba responds, smirking a little at the blonde’s discomfort at his response, “Or did you forget already?”

Glancing at the nearly finished dishes while ignoring the puffed-cheeks and annoyed expression of his ‘guest’, he gingerly gathers up the empty ones and packs them away once more,

“When you appetite is sated, you will come with me to the house. You will not speak to any of my guards or staff, you will sit and behave yourself while I arrange a section of the mansion for you to stay in and ensure it is secure.” A sidelong glance suggests just how unlikely Kaiba finds it that Jounouchi would not attempt an escape, “And then you will be allowed to situate yourself. We will go over the finer points of the rules and restrictions to your stay at that point.”

“…What about school, my dad and my friends?”

Leveling a cold glance at the blonde, Kaiba seems wholly unimpressed with the interruption, “Your grades are abysmal, and as such you will be attending a specialized course for the duration of the month. I will supply more details later, when needed. Any other brilliant inquiries?”

Sulking a little, Jounouchi refuses to look up at Kaiba again yet,

“Yeah. I figure I won’t be allowed a phone, but can I still write letters?”

A flicker of pleasant surprise goes unnoticed, and a softer glance notes the miserable slope of the blonde’s shoulders,

“Yes. I will have to check them first, but I would not deny you that.”


	8. Chapter 8

The windows have bars. It was the first thing Jounouchi noticed, when he stepped into the opulent sitting room. Wiggling his toes happily against the carpet, he ignores his ‘host’ lingering impatiently behind him in the hallway,

“Pretty swanky, aside from the whole art deco prison thing it has going for it.”

Clear blue eyes narrow irritably, and Kaiba has to remind himself why he is going through this effort in the first place. Nudging the blonde through the threshold properly so he can enter as well, spotting the hesitation in amber eyes as the door shuts with a resounding thud and a shudder of locks and hydraulics clicking neatly into place.

Gesturing idly to the doors on the right, their heavy dark wood looming ominiously despite being (presumably) harmless,

“That is a washroom, as well as the bedroom for the suite. You will find they also have a, how did you put it? ‘Art deco prison’ type of appearance,” A nod to the left, “And that door leads to a study with a small library, not that I think you’ll have any intention of using it.”

Jounouchi bristles, whirling around to look at his captor angrily, “Way to make a guy feel welcome. You miss something when it comes to downloading common sense and manners, Kaiba?”

A slow smirk curls the man’s lips, “I don’t miss anything. I simply find them irrelevant, when it comes to you. Now, if you would be so kind as to let me finish?

“Go ahead, oh mighty metalhead.” Jounouchi watches carefully to gauge Kaiba’s reaction, the way his eyes flutter wide in anger for a moment, then the careful descent into amusement.

“Should I be calling you meathead, then?” Pleased that the blonde is not as frightened of him any longer, though uncertain how he feels about having something so serious tossed around with such a casual air, Kaiba reaches out to touch the shorter man’s cheek lightly.

“Er. That sounds more like I’m a bodybuilder than anything, Kaiba. So maybe not that one. So what happens if I need something? What about school?” Forcing himself not to flinch as icy fingers brush his skin, he doesn’t break eye contact, instead choosing to tilt his head quizzically to the side.

“The terminal on the desk will allow you to contact me remotely should you need something. Food will be delivered via the dumbwaiter,” A lazy flick of his hand towards the device, hidden cleverly in the molding of the wall, “As for school, your parents will be informed that you are attending special lessons to improve your grades. I will procure whatever paperwork is needed to convince them, and your schoolwork will be delivered here. Your family and friends will believe you are essentially at a distance cram school geared towards difficult youth.”

“…Thus the letters.” Jounouchi offers, annoyed both by the assumption of his grades (which truth be told we not quite as bad as Kaiba implied, but still not good enough to warrant objecting) and how easily the other teen had come up with a solution, “And Mokuba?”

“Can visit you if he wishes to do so. He is permitted to bring you things to entertain yourself with,” Kaiba makes a face, “And expressed a great deal of excitement to have a house-guest.”

“And you?”

“Will set aside time to spend with you, otherwise the conditions of your detainment would not be fair. You will have ample chance to convince me.”

Jounouchi sinks down onto the couch, not sure whether this is the worst thing to have happened to him, or the best- free tutoring, food, and a nice place to live in, but the fear of being killed at the end of it looming over him.

Not to mention his only interpersonal contact being with the Kaiba brothers!


	9. Chapter 9

The stack of assignments never seemed to end and with only so much entertainment the television can provide, Jounouchi found himself frequently trying to whittle down the pile. With the quiet atmosphere, the work seemed to make more sense, and for a while he considered that maybe school had been the problem, not himself.

Setting the newest page into his designated ‘complete’ pile, which was a haphazard collection of pages teetering on the furthest edge of the desk, he glances over to the television. The news was on in English, on a station that sometimes had cartoons, which had been helping his study along more than he expected. 

“Are you hungry?” The sound jerks Jounouchi out of his thoughts, startled by the sudden intrusion, and annoyed that he can never seem to hear Kaiba coming.

“No, just annoyed.” Flopping forward on the desk, head in his arms, he tries to listen for the tell-tale sound of feet on carpet, but it never comes. Not even when he feels a hand settle on his back. Forcing his body to relax at the unexpected contact, Jounouchi flicks his pencil, rolling it lazily up the desk.

“Annoyed?” Leaning over the blond, Kaiba reaches for one of the balled up sheets of paper strewn over the desk, and carefully unfolds it, “Is this why?”

Lifting his head slightly, Jounouchi gives a half-hearted smile, “Sure. We’ll go with that.”

Ignoring the puzzled look, the unvoiced questions reflected in faintly luminescent blue eyes, he purposely leans back against the synthetic.

Swallowing awkwardly, Kaiba takes the pencil in hand and calmly begins demonstrating the correct method of solving the equation, in patient steps.

By the end of the week, they had fallen into a rhythm. Towards the end of the evening, Kaiba would come in and help him with whatever assignments he was stuck on, and revise the completed work, offering criticism and affirmation when needed. They would watch the news, and sometimes Jounouchi could coax him into watching a movie or silly program, until eventually Kaiba would leave. During the day Mokuba would sometimes venture in to play video games with him, but whenever questioned about his brother would close off and become withdrawn until leaving.

On Sunday, Kaiba had spent the entire day with his brother, something that was apparently a weekly ritual for the strange siblings. When he finally found his way into Jounouchi’s rooms, it was already well into the night, and the newscast had finished ages before. Though he had not gone to sleep yet, Jounouchi had changed into his provided nightclothes, and was stretched out on the couch trying to find a decent film to watch.

“You’re awful late tonight. Trouble at the office?”

“It’s Sunday. I was out with Mokuba today.” Kaiba stands by the door, looking out into the hall, and in again at his captive. Jounouchi doesn’t bother to look up from the television, after all, he had felt Kaiba’s real strength first hand, and didn’t want to be on the receiving end again anytime soon.

“Oh.” 

The silence stretches between them, and Kaiba’s hand settles on the door, pushing it open a bit further.

“Where are you going? I know we missed the news but I found a movie that doesn’t look terrible. You could stay. And watch it. With me, I mean.” Stumbling over the words, he forces himself not to look at Kaiba, not wanting to make a bigger fool of himself.

And no answer comes, leaving the blond to slump in slight disappointment deeper into the couch.

“I have to recharge.”

“You— oh. The room with the wires ‘n stuff, right?” Tilting his head, he catches the subtle nod of the synthetic, and smiles, “How long does it take? You could come back after. It isn’t like it matters when I sleep.”

Kaiba tries to hide his startled expression, and shifts his weight from one foot to the other, until finally announcing, “An hour. If you are still awake, I will come back.”

Kaiba’s skin glows faintly blue under the surface, and Jounouchi realizes this must be why he normally stays down overnight. The glow, the way his skin seems to have barely visible seams, and the starkly apparent metal ringlets peppered over his body for the cables to be inserted. He tries not to look at the man’s neck, remembering the long, thick cord that had been in it prior.

Freakish.

But not ugly.

Moving to let Kaiba sit, he wriggles until his body can nestle against Kaiba’s chest, one arm lazily over his middle. The contact doesn’t feel out of place any longer, but the uncanny pulsing of cold and heat under the other boy’s skin makes Jounouchi shiver.

As with everything else, Jounouchi knows he will adapt to this as well. The lack of breathing, blinking, even the lack of heartbeat, replaced with the queer thrum of mechanical progress.

Slowly, the sound is enough to relax under.

Jounouchi sleeps and for the first time, he doesn’t wake alone.


	10. Chapter 10

Jounouchi has gotten used to not sleeping alone, to having an arm resting lazily over his waist and the ghost of skin against his back. If he were honest about it, even to himself, he would admit to even being used to the queer lack of breath on his neck, the way a heartbeat doesn’t thump rhythmically under synthetic skin or even how the temperature of Kaiba’s body never quite reaches warmth.

But he isn’t honest to himself about it.

Each night after the TV is silent and the room is dark, his books scattered over the desk and clothes on the floor, Jounouchi lays there and thinks. He thinks in lists, lists of things that make Kaiba not like him, to force his own awareness and vigilance of Kaiba being the other. If he doesn’t, he worries he will forget to be wary of the very real danger he is still in out of comfortable complacency. 

He doesn’t have much time left, but still is floundering in the dark at how to convince Kaiba that he can be trusted. 

Sure, he hasn’t tried to escape or even sneak messages or hints in his letters, but that doesn’t mean any grand leaps in progress either. The only significant change is this, he muses idly as Kaiba’s fingers twitch slightly against his skin, this odd limbo where Kaiba allows him contact and vague intimacy.

“You aren’t sleeping.” Kaiba announces, his voice soft and annoyed in the darkness. It isn’t a question, but with his hearing and attention to detail it would have been a miracle if he had missed Jounouchi being awake.

“I doubt you telling me that would help much if I was trying to.” Jounouchi grumbles, only to grunt in confusion as the arm around him tugs, forcing him to roll over in a clumsy, sudden motion. Coming to a stop with his arms against the unmovable object that is Kaiba’s chest, Jounouchi feels his cheeks tinge pink.

Great, the metalhead is feeling cuddly.

Not bothering to object, Jounouchi lets Kaiba finish the motion, leaving him in a tight embrace and his head resting lightly under Kaiba’s chin.

“You should sleep,” Kaiba starts, then hesitates, listening to the erratic heartbeat and flustered breath against his collarbone, “If my presence is so uncomfortable, I don’t need to stay.”

The idea of Kaiba deigning to make concessions for him is such a strange concept that Jounouchi can’t think of what to say for a long moment, stretching out in the dark between them.

“No, stay. I’ve gotten used to you being here.”

And in the dark, Seto Kaiba smiles.


	11. Chapter 11

The letters are getting more anxious by the day.

Not Jounouchi’s of course, he knows full well that the letter would never make it to his friends if he put anything that sounded desperate or trapped in it. On the other hand, it seems that his friends are more suspicious of Kaiba’s cover story than they had let on, even to the point of suggesting they could take the train to come visit him just to make sure he is doing fine.

Which, given he is still in Domino and NOT a study camp, would be a little awkward to explain. 

So when Kaiba arrives that night, the TV is turned off and Jounouchi is sitting sombrely by the coffee table with a pile of letter.

“They want to come see me, Kaiba.”

Raising one eyebrow coolly, the synthetic is unimpressed.

“What if they start trying to contact this ‘study camp’ and find it either doesn’t exist, or if it does, that I am not even there?” Jounouchi continues, making sure to keep his voice level. Escalating into a fight is the worst thing he could do right now.

“I have arranged for the staff to state you are present and accounted for, Jounouchi. Do you take me for the sort of idiot who would make such an oversight?” Kaiba replies caustically. 

Jounouchi blinks in surprised, caught off guard by how abrasive the other man is being at the sheer mention of all this,

“And when they SHOW UP THERE? Kai- Seto,Please, let me visit them. Just for an afternoon? I, I know I agreed to stay, but Yugi is going to worry himself sick for real at this rate. You know how my friends are, they’ll go up there and see for themselves otherwise. I’ll even, um, I’ll even let you wire me for video and sound, so you can make sure I don’t do anything suspicious!” Beaming at his stroke of brilliance, Jounouchi doesn’t even allow himself to be dissuaded by Kaiba’s calmly annoyed expression.

“It would break the terms of the agreement.” 

“Or we could consider it a ‘revision of the terms of the contract’,” Jounouchi offers, recalling Kaiba using the phrasing in one of the few times he chose to rant about the office, “I’d be willing to make allowances too, you know.”

A flicker of interest in cold blue eyes as Kaiba smirks, “You have a bad habit of underestimating the severity of your situation.” He waits as the teen’s expression falters, “But as much as I hate to admit it, you have a point. Your friends go to ridiculous lengths for you, and I believe you have demonstrated remarkable behaviour and loyalty thus far.”

Jounouchi perks, holding his breath a moment as he waits for a full confirmation.

“One afternoon, from the hours of 3pm and 6pm. You will be monitored.”

The blonde can’t keep his excitement in check, hopping up a little to hug the other boy who stands there stiffly before reluctantly returning the gesture.

“But,” And Jounouchi’s jubilant expression becomes hesitant, bright eyes staring up at Kaiba warily while the synthetic speaks, “In exchange for this alteration of the terms you will lose one day from your allotted time.”

“I- but-, you can’t be serious!” Jounouchi flails for the right words, but they slip through his mind like a sieve, “Haven’t we been getting on better than this?”

“I am. The choice is yours, but we both know which option you will choose.”

That night, Jounouchi doesn’t invite Kaiba to stay.


	12. Chapter 12

A day less. If Jounouchi only considered the value from that view, he knew nothing good would come of it. The important part isn’t the loss of a day, though that was in itself a regrettable sacrifice if things went sour.

No, the more important things to consider are what he had the chance to gain from the venture.

For Kaiba to risk letting him out, even monitored and for a limited time, it expressed some measure of trust however minuscule. With trust being the name of the game he is certain this is more of an opportunity than it is a risk, though not negating that there is a risk present. Not even bringing to the table his desire to see his friends and assuage their (surprisingly well founded) fears, he knew this is something he had to do.

To prove he would come back, that he wouldn’t betray the secret he was holding close to his chest to protect someone that some days he worries might be a monster.

Except when Kaiba does little things that he never expects. He pulls open the night stand drawer thumbing through the papers inside it with a tiny smile playing at his lips. His sister’s school photos, something he hadn’t been able to get a hold of for himself, news clippings about duels and Yugi. Sometimes a new theme card for his deck, or a magazine about duelling.

Sometimes he wondered if duelling is the only thing they even have in common, until the video games started showing up. It was after an innocuous comment about never having played anything other than arcade games, Kaiba had shown up with a bunch of old games and showed him how to play.

Jounouchi never won against him, but slowly Kaiba showed him games where winning wasn’t the point, the story was.

Each time with the movie nights, the video games and the tiny gifts, Jounouchi wondered a little more earnestly if Kaiba was really such a monster, or just intensely lonely.

Even his brother had friends.

The sunlight streaming into the room distracts him from his thoughts, and his heart is heavy as he sets the trinkets and papers back. They had decided on the weekend, and today was Friday.

Only one more day.

The stress and anxiety had been getting to him since they decided on it, and Jounouchi still remembers Kaiba’s expression afterwards. Jounouchi had smiled, and jokingly offered that afterwards the two of them could spend the rest of the late afternoon on rides at the nearest non-Kaiba Corp theme park. 

And Kaiba, against all odds, had given a barely perceptible smirk and nod.

Settling down onto the couch, Jounouchi muses idly to himself;

“If nothing else, at least he’s giving me a chance to stretch my legs properly.”


	13. Chapter 13

Stretching out his arm, he catches the pole of the nearest sign at a jog so his body swings in a wide arc outstretched, laughing openly in the early afternoon sun. The air is cold enough that his breath fogs, but the sky is bright and wonderful enough that Jounouchi can’t bring himself to care. The clothes are warm enough that the chill doesn’t bite at him, and he tries not to wonder too long over how Kaiba figured out his clothing sizes. 

Right, he probably got them in a perfectly normal non-creepy or stalkerish fashion.

Right.

Spotting a very familiar head of crazy hair, Jounouchi speeds up, catching the smaller boy and swinging him around then tugging him into a bear hug, “Yugi! You have no idea how glad I am to see you!”

Yugi’s smile is infectious, even if Jounouchi hadn’t been deliriously happy to see his friends again Yugi could have gotten him smiling with ease. The laughter is easy and light, and Honda gives his arm a good-natured punch for worrying them all. 

Just like nothing was wrong.

“Jou~! I need to breathe!” Yugi objects, voice muffled by Jounouchi’s shirt, and reluctantly Jou finds himself letting go.

“You don’t need air that badly, do you?” His teasing grin gets him a swat from Anzu for nearly suffocating her boyfriend, “Hey, calm down Anzu, you know I was gonna let him breath sooner or later!”

The fall air smells earthy and leaves crackle underfoot as they walk together, and even knowing Seto is spying on them all doesn’t ruin his good mood, nor when their conversation turns to school and all that he had been missing since being trapped.

Though he could definitely live without the study groups and cram school.

“So Jou, when do you think you’ll be coming back into Domino for good? We miss you.” Yugi looks up at him with a wide, curious gaze, and for a minute Jounouchi thinks that maybe he spots a bit of worry there. As if Yugi knows more than he is letting on.

His smile is hopefully free of nervousness, and he ruffles Yugi’s hair, “Hopefully soon, buddy. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, you know? My grades are pretty abysmal. Oh! But if I do well, I should be able to graduate with you all still. That would be good, right?” His smile is devious, “Or are you still failing English and Math, Yugi?”

“I’ll pass! I think. I hope. Anzu has been helping me study, but we get kind of distracted.” Yugi’s cheeks go vibrantly bright, and Anzu pretends not to hear them but a hint of amusement touches her face.

It seems unfair how quickly the time passes, like the clock is mocking him with each minute closer to their rushed goodbyes. So much so that he is caught off guard when Anzu asks him why the limit.

So Jounouchi blurts out the only thing he can think of,

“I’m meeting someone for a date.”

And the stares, oh lord the stares. He squeaks out a quick excuse of being late and bolts while they bombard his back with questions, only stopping when he reaches the park benches where he promised to meet Seto. Who looks entirely too amused.

“And here I thought you had rejected my earlier advances, maybe you only needed something as pedestrian as a date.”

“Because things like that will clearly earn you brownie points.” Jounouchi snipes crankily, only faltering as he barely catches the amused air to Seto’s posture. He can’t help but focus on how his chest never moves with a hint of breath, how he doesn’t always remember to blink, “And don’t deny it, you’re looking forward to a date as much as I am.”

To his amazement, Seto chuckles.

“I am, if you still plan to go.”

Jounouchi’s gaze grows guarded in confusion, “Why wouldn’t I?”

A casual gesture with his hand in the direction Jounouchi had just come from, “You came back. You didn’t tell them a thing, you even invented a ridiculous excuse to explain why you needed to leave.”

“…So? I promised I wouldn’t tell or run off. I meant it.” He fidgets, aware of Seto’s steady gaze on him, “I’m missing something, aren’t I?”

“I believe you.” Seto says simply, “You’re trustworthy.”

And with slow dawning realization, Jounouchi reaches out and touches Seto’s arm, “You’re letting me go. That’s why you think I won’t go with you?”

Seto’s bark of bitter laughter catches him off guard, “Why would you?”

“You’re the dumbest smart person I know sometimes.” Jounouchi rolls his eyes, tugging at the other’s sleeve until he walks alongside him towards the park’s entrance, “You may be a little unhinged, abnormal and socially stunted, but you were good to me. Kind of. I thought we were at least friends, other than the whole you maybe killing me at the end thing.”

“Friends.” Seto repeats skeptically, wondering how Jounouchi can be so idealistic, but the thought of it is not so very unwelcome, “I suppose we are, then. Friends on a date.”

“Fine. But if you’re calling it a date, you’re treating me to anything I want to eat, since you won’t have to I’ll just eat your portions too.”

And with his arm looped around Seto’s, they walk under the arches and into the park.

Maybe things were finally changing for better instead of worse?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Violence, blood.

Jounouchi is glad Kaiba is dressed far less ostentatiously than usual, and though still quite dapper his clothes are plain and easy to skip over. They don’t attract attention, something both unexpected and beneficial as far as Jounouchi is concerned. Not having to deal with swarms of people vying to be in the mighty Seto Kaiba’s good graces makes the first few rides liberating, and milking Seto for snacks at one of the cheerfully bright booths is worth the look he gets.  
“Why did you get two?” His expression is mild and restrained, though Jounouchi spots the first hints of irritation.  
“I didn’t forget, you jerk.” Though it doesn’t carry the same bite it would have before, instead a borderline affectionate jovial lilt to the words, “They’re both for me! I’m a growing boy, I need food!”  
He offers a wide grin, then digs in, pretending he doesn’t see Seto’s eerily fixated stare. Eating still seems to fascinate the synthetic, and watching Jounouchi is becoming a distressingly common past-time.  
“Growing sideways, maybe.” Seto smirks faintly, and reaches over to nudge the skin under the edge of his shirt at his stomach, then raises an eyebrow, “Or not, apparently.”  
Pausing in his devouring, Jou rolls his eyes, “See? I’d be skin and bones like you if I didn’t eat this much-- er. Well, maybe not like you, exactly.” The sudden silence grows awkward quickly, with Jounouchi avoiding looking up from his food, but still feeling the insistent gaze on him.  
“Does it bother you?” The question is spoken in a perfectly even tone, the artificial sound almost audible. The wrappers strewn are strewn on the table, and Jounouchi starts twisting them into tight balls to keep the birds from flocking at them, avoiding answering Seto’s question.  
“Not the time or place to talk about this sort of thing. C’mon, we’re here to have fun, not muse on the disturbing realities we’re facing, remember?” The encouraging smile is laced with discomfort, and Jounouchi finds himself wondering if Kaiba had meant something different with the question entirely, but finds himself joking instead, “Unless you mean the whole ‘watching me while I eat’ thing, in which case yeah, that gets a little creepy.”  
Seto regards him with a quiet curiosity, but doesn’t push the matter further.  
“But I still wouldn’t tell. Mokuba needs you.” Jounouchi finally adds, voice uncharacteristically soft, “And I like having you around, when you aren’t being a jerk. Probably more than I should, given the circumstances.” He smiles to make the words gentler, not wanting to give the impression he is too sour about it all. Despite that, he understands why things happened the way they did, and that coming out unscathed has him in high spirits.  
Not to mention his schoolwork has improved significantly.

The wrappers drop into the garbage can, scuffed sneakers walking alongside polished black leather, his voice loud and obnoxiously open, while Seto’s is direct, quiet and forceful. The crowd is thick for a moment, and in the sudden mess of motion and sound Jounouchi spots something glint.  
Maybe he just has a hero complex, maybe just reckless or even for a moment forgetting his companion isn’t flesh and blood--  
But no, that is exactly the reason he moves, because Seto is not flesh. Because he promised to keep this secret, because he knows who would be left behind.

He crumples as the weapon skitters across the ground, dislodged with a precise movement to disable the wielder, the sound of his fist impacting drowned out by the booming echo of the gunshot. His knees hit the concrete, hands clutching and pressing the fabric of his shirt tightly as his palms and fingers grow warm and wet. Distantly, he can feel hands against his shoulders, yelling and screams assaulting his ears though it feels muted, filtered through a veil.  
An arm loops around him, and a sturdy hand puts pressure overtop his own against the wound, his head lolling back against Seto’s shoulder and for a moment meeting the panicked blue eyes through the haze of pain, the edges of his vision dark and fuzzy. No exposed evidence, no damage, and he can’t help but feel proud through the pain that at least he didn’t fuck this up. Not this.  
And as the darkness swarms, tugging downwards, it doesn’t matter that he thinks it was stupid, or reckless, or is angry to be left behind, because despite every objection his friend is safe.

He smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everyone! It has been a while, hasn’t it? This is the longest fandom piece I’ve ever written, apparently, and it is going out with a bang. I’m glad people have enjoyed it! There will be an epilogue tying together the loose ends, and after that I will be taking ask-box questions on my tumbr related to unanswered issues. (The answers may end up drabbles, depending.)  
> LuckyREBD.tumblr.com


	15. Epilogue

Mokuba wipes at his face with a cloth, then wrinkles his nose at the combination of oil and grease it comes away with. Dropping the cloth back into the work-table, beside the now-dormant blowtorch, he adjust his gloves slightly,  
“Big brother, I know you don’t sleep, but at least don’t stare quite so intently, okay? It makes me nervous.” He smiles over his shoulder, hair bound back tightly for the moment, though messy as ever.  
“You missed one.” Seto points out sullenly, averting his gaze from the back of his brother’s head as he pushes off the raised metal table. As an afterthought he picks up the light blanket slung over the seat of a stool, and moves to tuck it over Mokuba, “Here, with the fans going you must be freezing.”  
“You’d be surprised how warm blowtorches and soldering irons keep you.” Mokuba quips, though he doesn’t refuse the gesture. After all, not everyone has the advantage of not getting cold. “And really, there are more? Are you sure we really need all of them? Maybe it would be better if we didn’t include them.”  
“No.” Seto shakes his head firmly, and traces a finger along the ridge of the unit’s casing where the hipbone is raised, “There is a longer one here.”  
Mokuba heaves an exasperated sigh, “If you are going to keep critiquing my work, maybe you should just do it by yourself, hmmm? What is the big deal with keeping the scars anyways? It isn’t as if it matters other than aesthetics, and how do you know where they are anyways? How often have you even seen him naked-- wait, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”  
“His scars are important to him. Reminders of events, warnings against repeating things, encounters he was proud or ashamed of. They’re part of who he is, and I sincerely doubt he would be pleased to find them missing. It will be difficult enough for him to adjust without the visual dissonance.” He watches his brother adjust the synthetic covering, manipulating the material the way a musician creates a melody, changing to match the faint blue glowing outline of Seto’s projection.  
“It could be worse. At least with how long this takes, you can claim he was in recovery.” Mokuba points out, a tiny furrow to his brow as he concentrates, “Thankfully this is going much faster than yours did. I can’t be down here as long as you can.”  
He finished outlining the last scar, looking over his handiwork with a pleased little smirk, “There, finished.” Leaning back in the chair, he tugs the blanket snugly around him to warm up a little, tilting his head back to watch Seto curiously, “You can do the honors I suppose? I doubt my face would be particularly comforting right now.”  
If his hands could tremble, Seto wagers they would be. Instead his fingertips are distressingly still, and he brushes them against the comatose creature’s cheek with a sense of reverence and unease. If successful, he would have the chance to make amends, if not-- No, the thought is shoved to the back of his mind. His brother would not have failed.  
Reaching around, he carefully dislodges the thick braided cord of wires and tubes from the back of it’s neck, not wanting the discomfort of it to be felt until absolutely necessary in order to ease the transition. He slides a single finger inside before the defensive cover can close, and presses into and indentation, holding for a few moments until he spots the chest begin to rise and fall in imitation of breathing. Drawing his finger back out and watching the iris close behind it, Seto takes a moment to right himself, wary of meeting the waking gaze for fear there would be no recognition there.  
They open slowly, artificial lashes fluttering against his cheeks before the deep golden colour appears slowly, the synthetic lenses distorting the intended brown shade and making it pale and almost luminescent, much like the startling blue of Seto’s own eyes. The almost drowsy effect causes a tiny smile to tug at the corner of his lips, reaching down to touch his cheek once more,  
“Katusya, you’re awake.”  
“Why don’t I feel like I got hit by a truck? Why am I naked?” Clumsily pushing himself into a sitting position, Katsuya looks around the workroom with wide eyes, taking in the eerie scene of artificial parts laying around, a spine, the articulated bone structure of an arm and hand.  
“And since when do you use my name like that--” He stills, looking down at his hands, at Mokuba who won’t meet his gaze, and Seto who is using a masterful poker-face, but whose expression is too guarded.  
“Fuck.” Taking a deep breath, then realizing abruptly that the motion feels natural, but there is no reassuring swell or wave of calm from it. Great. “Did I die?”  
Mokuba stands, turning away to start cleaning some of his tools, casting a significant look at his brother before distancing himself.  
“Technically.” Seto manages finally, “Your body wouldn’t have survived much longer so we--, so Mokuba and I preserved what we could until he could finish a unit for you. Do you... how is your memory? Any gaps?”  
The list is long, and each test and check eases Seto’s worries, and thankfully distracts Katsuya from the disturbing reality at hand. Finally the checks are complete, and he sets the tablet down on the instrument table, smiling faintly.  
“I should get you some clothes. Be careful when we go outside, natural light will be jarring at first.” Katsuya’s hand catches Seto’s, and he holds it a long moment in silence.  
“Am I staying here? With you?”  
Seto cautiously squeezes his hand, considering for a long moment, “You would not be trapped here, but you will have to come here often. You’ll need to recharge, and Mokuba will need to do maintenance every so often. On the other hand, you are welcome to stay with us. I... I would like to make this less difficult for you.”

Katsuya lets Seto help him stand, adjusting to the strange sensory input with little steps at first, and offers a weary, affectionate smile,  
“Together, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that took a lot longer than expected. Sorry for all the delays, everyone! I will be doing drabbles still set in the same story-line eventually, set after the final events in the last chapter.
> 
> More importantly, Mokuba, Seto and Jounouchi will be answering asks in-character, possibly with images for the next few days!  
> (Luckyrebd.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been reading, and thank you for the support!


End file.
